Hollywood Popular Artists

Mar 5th 2013, 18:20

It's been an intense fundraising period, but CrowdRise's JobRaising Challenge is finally over! The numbers are in, the donations have been counted, and one thing is clear: a lot of people wanted to help put Americans back to work.

With more and more Americans concerned about unemployment and job creation, Inauguration Day was the perfect time to launch the JobRaising Challenge. CrowdRise's goal was simple: partner with The Huffington Post and The Skoll Foundation to raise money and awareness for job-creating non-profits over the course of six weeks.

Now that the challenge has officially ended, we can finally report the results! According to the site, more than $1.4 million were donated to the non-profits competing in the challenge. Even more amazing is that 82% of those donations were less than $100! It was a close campaign, but in the end JVS Los Angeles took home the $150,000 prize by raising $254,100.

JVS Los Angeles may have claimed the grand prize, but the runners up can't be too disappointed. New York City's Venture for America, which raised $253,205, will take home $50,000, while Baker Industries from Philadelphia, which raised $111,750, will pocket $30,000. The Skoll Foundation is even making a surprise $1,000 gift to the orgs that didn't win but still competed in the challenge.  Lots of job karma is going around!

For those who are new to the causes, these non-profits are all about putting Americans back to work. JVS Los Angeles is dedicated to "helping people overcome barriers to employment in order to find stable jobs and support their families." Venture for America's goal is to create 100,000 more jobs by 2025 by enabling recent college graduates to create new opportunities for themselves and others. Baker Industries promotes "a work rehabilitation program employing an overlooked and underutilized workforce population."

With more than $1 million raised, the JobRaising partners are more than thrilled. Arianna Huffington believes that the challenge "proved that by keeping the spotlight on the ongoing jobs crisis, we can come together to start conversations, raise awareness, and improve lives."

While the JobRaising challenge is over, the real work is still taking place. As long as Americans are struggling to find jobs, non-profits like JVS Los Angeles, Venture for America, and Baker Industries will need our help.

To learn more about how you can help these non-profits create jobs, visit the action widget below.

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